1st Off-Road trip in my Cybertruck - Takeaways & Experience

[CyberVeteran]

No, I didn't sleep overnight on this trip.

What's interesting about the dust infiltration is that when I arrived at the historic site, there was no dust in the vault at all, unlike when I returned home. The only difference that could explain it is the higher driving speed and gusty winds on the trip back.

I plan to load the vault/subvault with things that won't be damaged by water or dust:

• Spare tire/jack/shovel/tools
• Air compressor/hose
• Generator and propane
• 10' x 10' Canopy
• Camp kitchen, propane stove, utensils
• Two chairs
• Collapsible toilet/privacy tent
• Portable A/C unit (summer time)
• Starlink antenna
• Fire wood

All this stuff is unloaded when I set up the campsite to make room in the vault to sleep.

The cab will be used to store:

• Refrigerator
• Air mattresses/ bedding
• Food
• Clothing
• Rain gear/boots
• First aid kit
• Camera gear
• Etc

And possibly a small broom to sweep out any dust in the vault, if you intend to utilize the vault for sleeping/food prep.

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[Thudhead]

when we set a route in a CT, Tesla needs to download base map advance. we shouldn't need google maps. ?

Anyway, I'm in AZ and this is exactly the type of trip I'm hoping to get back to doing. Thanks for the post @Cybergirl !

All USFS and USGS designated roads should be available for download/offline navigation.

 

[Crissa]

I use an iPad mini for my offhand tablet stuff... its only real problem is no gps and Googlemaps on it is crippled. If the new one has gos, all the better. The limitations the cellular version has is also disappointing. But it's much easier to read documents on and fits in a pocket, so I use it more often than my phone, honestly.

So mine mostly does DJing and keeping notes while my phone handles additional nav and communication duties.

All USFS and USGS designated roads should be available for download/offline navigation.

Heck. It should do that driving into my neighborhood. I hate that map systems keep forgetting that you might not be online!

-Crissa

 

[Cybergirl]

I use an iPad mini for my offhand tablet stuff... its only real problem is no gps and Googlemaps on it is crippled. If the new one has gos, all the better. The limitations the cellular version has is also disappointing. But it's much easier to read documents on and fits in a pocket, so I use it more often than my phone, honestly.

So mine mostly does DJing and keeping notes while my phone handles additional nav and communication duties.

-Crissa

You need an iPad or iPad Mini with cellular capability to get GPS for navigation.

 

[Crissa]

You need an iPad or iPad Mini with cellular capability to get GPS for navigation.

The older one with cellular didn't have true gps.

-Crissa

 

[thedownwardmachine]

I regularly take my Model S out to areas without cellular connectivity, and I have problems.

The phone app does not work unless both the phone and vehicle are connected to wifi at my destination. Because there is no key card and no phone key, this means if I accidentally lock my key in the car, I will have to break the window to get in. Sounds like things are better with the CT.

The on-screen navigation turns into an arrow sitting on a grid with no map features. It sounds like they haven't fixed this for the CT. This is ironic because I periodically have to download huge navigation updates, so I'm not sure what those are for if they aren't serving as offline maps.

Fun fact: there is a cheap device which hosts an Android Auto and Apple Carplay server over wifi, and if you connect the car to it, you can do AA/Carplay via the browser. I have not tried it and would probably just do OnX/GaiaGPS/Scenic via iPad, but fyi.

My point is that Tesla seems to have not factored in much in terms of the vehicle working without connectivity. Elon keeps going on about how Tesla makes the best in apocalypse technology, but the cars seem too dependent on internet for that to be the case.

 

[cybguy]

FYI, a mile west of Parker, AZ and you're in California. While Swansea is a pretty straight shot east from Parker, I'm still confused. Didn't you have a map app that uses GPS on your phone going? I still throw in an old Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer as a back up in case my plans change or roads are impassible.
I wonder if Tesla has any plans to fix the leaky vault?

 

[Cybergirl]

I regularly take my Model S out to areas without cellular connectivity, and I have problems.

The phone app does not work unless both the phone and vehicle are connected to wifi at my destination. Because there is no key card and no phone key, this means if I accidentally lock my key in the car, I will have to break the window to get in. Sounds like things are better with the CT.

The on-screen navigation turns into an arrow sitting on a grid with no map features. It sounds like they haven't fixed this for the CT. This is ironic because I periodically have to download huge navigation updates, so I'm not sure what those are for if they aren't serving as offline maps.

Fun fact: there is a cheap device which hosts an Android Auto and Apple Carplay server over wifi, and if you connect the car to it, you can do AA/Carplay via the browser. I have not tried it and would probably just do OnX/GaiaGPS/Scenic via iPad, but fyi.

My point is that Tesla seems to have not factored in much in terms of the vehicle working without connectivity. Elon keeps going on about how Tesla makes the best in apocalypse technology, but the cars seem too dependent on internet for that to be the case.

You're right, a cellular connection is required to download maps for navigation, stream music, and use any app function that needs an internet connection.

Do this: Put your phone in "Airplane mode", but leave BlueTooth on. You should be able to lock and unlock the car and open the trunk and frunk with the app. Other things like honking the horn and venting the windows need connectivity.

 

[Cybergirl]

FYI, a mile west of Parker, AZ and you're in California. While Swansea is a pretty straight shot east from Parker, I'm still confused. Didn't you have a map app that uses GPS on your phone going? I still throw in an old Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer as a back up in case my plans change or roads are impassible.
I wonder if Tesla has any plans to fix the leaky vault?

Yes, I have the GaiaGPS app on my phone and it worked. The problem is viewing the small phone display while driving. I didn't have a dash mount for the phone, and the position of vehicle goes off the small screen when zoomed in to see trail details forcing me to manually scroll the map. The iPad Mini has an 8" screen making it easier to see while driving. It also needs a dash mount which I'm still working on.

 

[Cybergirl]

I plan to take along a Starlink antenna on my remote off-road trips so that I have internet connectivity. All Tesla app functions will function with Starlink wifi present. A cellular connection is not needed. I have Starlink Mobile service which I can activity for a month at a time for $150, pausing for months I don't need it.

 

[CactusPilot]

In Arizona also..I use Avenza maps for off-road use on my phone..works great, download maps ahead of time and no cell data required.

 

[dw321]

Last weekend I took my new CT AWD on an off-road trip to the Swansea, AZ mining ghost town 30 miles west of Parker, AZ. The total mileage round trip from Lake Havasu City was 140 miles, 40 miles was rocky dirt roads/trails. I left with a 90% charge and returned home with 34% for a trip average of 492 Wh/mile driving between 50 - 65 mph on paved roads.

My takeaways from the trip were valuable. I'm new to off-road adventuring, but plan to do a lot more now that I have a Cybertruck.

1. It took 3 hr to dive 30 miles to the site. I drove slowly getting to the town site because the road was very rocky and rough. I drove quite a bit faster driving back having gained confidence from the experience, and talking to other off-roaders. I found that driving faster makes the ride less rough as long as I slowed down for large bumps and dips.
2. I attracted quite crowd of other off-road enthusiasts curious about the Cybertruck. The reactions were all positive.
3. Driving faster creates a lot of dust which gets into everything. The inside of the closed vault was blanketed with dust when I returned home, indicating that the vault is not well sealed. It was winding late in the day as well which probably contributed to the dust infiltration.
4. It’s easy to get lost on the trails. A reliable navigation system and a set of paper maps as a backup is very important, especially in an EV where every mile traveled is eating into the truck's range.
5. The Carlinkit T2C+ Samsung Note 9 combination didn’t work out well for getting GaiaGPS navigation maps to display on the CT display. It kept disconnecting from the Tesla display, and the battery drain on the Note 9 was excessive. I’m going to switch to an iPad Mini 5 for off-road navigation.
6. If I travel in a group, I will need a two-way radio. I was advised to get a GMRS radio (MXT 275 from Midland).
7. Removing the mud flaps is necessary to prevent from breaking them (I didn't take them off, but luckily didn't break them)
8. As rugged as the CT is, the plastic mirrors and wheel flares will get permanently scratched by stiff brush and branches protruding into a narrow trail. They left their mark on my side mirrors.

Glad you had a great trip. The scratches are known as Arizona Pinstripes. Any vehicle that truly goes into the wilds of Arizona has them. As for Navigation take a look at ON X. It shows roads, land ownership, terrain, and satellite views AND if you're going into an area where you do not have cell service, common in AZ, you can download the area onto your device before you go and the GPS feature tracks your location.

 

[CyberT1]

When I drove off the AZ HWY 95 several miles, I lost my LTE connection. At the edge of the previously downloaded Google map, I had no map information downloaded to help with navigation.

Losing cellphone connectivity did not affect my ability to use many functions on the Tesla app. For example, I could still unlock the truck, open the tonneau cover and gate, and so on. I could not do things like watch a Netfix movie that require an internet connection via wifi or cell tower connection. A Starlink mobile account and Starlink antenna over comes this limitation.

The solution is using a navigation app like GaiaGPS running on an iPhone, iPad, iPad Mini, or android phone or tablet on which maps having been previously downloaded. I tried using GaiaGPS app on my Samsung phone connected to the CT's display via Bluetooth from a Carlinkit T2C box, but it didn't work well. I'm planning to use an iPad Mini and mount for my off road navigation.

The GaiaGPS maps are very extensive and provide overlays for all kinds of good information including topography, closed trails, weather, snow depth, forest fires, historic sites, etc. GaiaGPS is available as an annual subscription.

Great Discussion

 

[TwilightHan]

#3 a tail gate gasket might help with this.
what you experienced would also be true for any pickup truck with a bed tonneau/cover. The gasket would limit dust intrusion.

I have the weather tech tonneau cover for my f150 and have never gotten dust inside. It’s well sealed fortunately unlike most other covers. Not looking forward to the bed getting dusty since all our important stuff is back there. We’ll need to figure out a way to fix this.

 

[up_justin]

This is a great post and write up! It's awesome to see people using the truck for off-road truck stuff!
Some of my takeaways from this would be to suggest the OnX off-road app on that iPad mini and mount it up on the dash. It offers off line maps so when you lose service, it still works and has literally thousands upon thousands of miles of trails in it as well as boundaries from privately owned land etc.
Secondly, black plastic will scratch when encountered by bushes and sticks and such. There's not a lot you can do to avoid it, kind of comes with the territory of off-roading and trail running and think of them as merit badges. Have fun out there!

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